North America Distribution

Facts

Pin oak is a fast-growing, primarily southern and mid-western species that reaches the northeastern edge of its range in New England; Maine populations are considered introduced. It gets its common name from its numerous, thin twigs. It resembles red oak (Q. rubra), but its leaves have much deeper concavities (sinuses) between the lobes, and its acorns are much smaller; also, the tips of its winter buds are blunt, whereas those of red oak are sharply pointed. Caterpillars of the common gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) eat the leaves of pin oak.

Native to North America?

Sometimes Confused With

Family

Genus

Information from Dichotomous Key of Flora Novae Angliae

10. Quercus palustris
Muenchh.
n

pin oak.
CT, MA, ME,
RI,
VT. Swamps, riparian forests, pond shores. This species is native to southern New England but introduced (as a planting) in
ME and
VT.

10×16.
Quercus palustris
×
Quercus velutina
→Quercus×‌vaga
Palmer & Steyermark is a very rare oak hybrid known from
MA. It tends to show the bark and growth habit of
Q. palustris along
with the involucral bracts of
Q. velutina. The leaf blades also show tufts of pubescence in the axils of the primary lateral veins.